Hard Times In New York Town

Hard Times In New York Town Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Come you ladies and you gentlemen, a-listen to my song
Sing it to you right, but you might think it’s wrong
Just a little glimpse of a story I’ll tell
’Bout an East Coast city that you all know well
It’s hard times in the city
Living’ down in New York town

[Verse 2]
Old New York City is a friendly old town
From Washington Heights to Harlem on down
There’s a-mighty many people all milling’ all around
They’ll kick you when you’re up and knock you when you’re down
It’s hard times in the city
Living’ down in New York town

[Verse 3]
Well, the weekend is strong and the rich and the poor
Get there together in roof an' no more
Crowdin' up 'bove and crowdin' down below
And someone disappears, you never even know
And it's hard times from the country, livin' down in New York town

[Verse 4]
It’s a mighty long ways from the Golden Gate
To Rockefeller Plaza ’n’ the Empire State
Mister Empire sets up as high as a bird
Old Mister Rockefeller never says a word
It’s hard times from the country
Living’ down in New York town

[Verse 5]
Well, it’s up in the morning’ trying’ to find a job of work
Stand in one place till your feet begin to hurt
If you got a lot o’ money you can make yourself merryIf you only got a nickel, it’s the Staten Island Ferry
And it’s hard times in the city
Living’ down in New York town

[Verse 6]
Mister Hudson come a-sailing down the stream
And old Mister Minuet paid for his dream
Bought your city on a one-way track
’F I had my way I’d sell it right back
And it’s hard times in the city
Living’ down in New York town

[Verse 7]
I’ll take all the smog in Cal-i-for-ne-ay
’N’ every bit of dust in the Oklahoma plains
’N’ the dirt in the caves of the Rocky Mountain mines
It’s all much cleaner than the New York kind
And it’s hard times in the city
Living’ down in New York town

[Verse 8]
So all you newsy people, spread the news around
You can listen to m’ story, listen to m’ song
You can step on my name, you can try ’n’ get me beat
When I leave New York, I’ll be standing’ on my feet
And it’s hard times in the city
Living’ down in New York town

About “Hard Times In New York Town”

Based on “Down on Penny’s Farm,” a song credited to the Bently Boys on Harry Smith’s wildly influential Anthology of American Folk Music, “Hard Times In New York Town” finds Dylan lamenting life in his adopted hometown.

The original 1929 recording centers on the following line:

It’s a hard times in the country
Down on Penny’s farm

Dylan flips the setting from rural to urban but keeps the general mood. His song is all about how the Big Apple will beat you down, though as the final verse makes clear, he’s up to the challenge.

“Hard Times In New York Town” wasn’t actually recorded in NYC. It’s one of 26 tunes that Dylan committed to reel-to-reel tape on December 22, 1961, at the Minneapolis apartment of his friend Bonnie Beecher. The recording of that session later became known as The Minneapolis Hotel Tape.

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